An unnamed Michigan woman who took part in one of the state's first same-sex marriages was beaten unconscious on Monday, after her attackers allegedly recognized her from a televised report on her wedding. The unnamed woman and her new wife were one of 300 couples able to marry in late March after a court order briefly lifted the state ban on same-sex marriage. On Monday, a group of men approached her on the street, made reference to her TV appearance while using a homophobic slur, and then punched her to the ground, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.

In a news release quoted by the Detroit Free Press, the sheriff's office gave the following account of the attack:

“One of the males stated, ‘Hey b----. Are you that (anti-gay slur) from the news?’ One of the males then punched her in the face, which knocked her to the ground and unconscious."

The Free Press adds that one of the men kicked her in the gut after she regained consciousness, and then fled. The woman described one of her attackers as "white, 5-feet-10 inches to 5-feet-11 inches tall, heavy set and with a low or husky voice." There were at least two other men involved, however authorities haven't provided a physical description of them.

Washtenaw was one of four Michigan counties issuing marriage licenses on March 22, the Saturday after a federal judge struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban. Although the state later appealed to 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for a stay on the decision, 300 couples were able to marry during that brief window. Although the state government has said that it will not recognize those marriages, the federal government will.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

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